I Love You, Mom.

(Left on my desk ananomously(sic) when we were @ 315 E. Court)

You are hereby recognized as a woman of courage and compassion, a woman of strength who has dignity and the beauty of a generous spirit. A woman of creativity and insight who is visionary and never turns away from the challenge. A woman who risks the long journey with gentle wisdom. Your achievements are respected. You are significant and valuable. You inspire and bring gladness.

(Please read @ my funeral. Thanks).

-read by Amanda Krouskop, with Kendra Krouskop-Smith at her side, at the funeral of Sharon Waldsmith, Oct. 28, 2011, Cromes Funeral Home, Sidney, OH. The reference to 315 E. Court refers to her job at the Shelby County Educational Service Center (then called the Shelby County Board of Education), which was located at that time at the Court St. address.

Mom never said anything to either of us girls about this little note. However, as she was looking for a picture to include with the obituary, Mandie’s eyes were drawn to the wall just above her scrapbooking table, where this little note hung.

Thank you for all you did for us, Mom. You were the perfect Mom for both of us, and we hope we were able to convey that to you in your last days.



Heavenly Father, I ask you to accept this loving woman into your eternal care. Grant us peace knowing that her Earthly body is at rest, and her Heavenly body is waiting to greet us when our time comes. In Jesus’ Name I Pray, Amen.

Two

Mandie shared with me tonight that she is attending a "spiritual" church, and that she believes in a universal being, rather than God. She proceeded to share about how she attended several "readings", and that she believes that "mediums" can contact the spirits of those who have passed on. As we talked, Mom seemed to grow more agitated. Finally, she found Mandie's face with her left hand, and put her fingers over Mandie's mouth. I originally thought that she was trying to tell Mandie that she was wrong, but we now believe that she felt a possibly-detrimental argument brewing, and wanted us to stop before it went too far.

A little later, after Mandie had gone to sleep, Mom was pretty agitated again, tugging my arm toward her. I kept trying to calm her down, but it just wasn't working. Finally, she managed to make her left hand show two fingers. After my initial thought that she wanted to shoot me for not getting that stupid ventilator out of her mouth, I immediately began trying to think of "twos". I explained that Mandie was asleep on the couch, and I was right next to her. Then she moved her right arm a little toward her stomach. I told her that my kids were home asleep because it was 1:30 am. She moved her right arm closer to her middle. I talked about how my dog is ignoring her dog, when I thought they might like to play together. Then she moved both arms close enough to touch.

It hit me. She wanted to pray.

So I prayed over her, too. And we prayed for healing, comfort, peace, the doctors and nurses, and those who are praying for us.

And we prayed for Mandie.

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